Chicago Fire Player Development Update

CHICAGO FIRE ACADEMY TEAMS POST 2-0-1 RECORD IN WEEKEND PLAY
The Chicago Fire U-18 and U-16 Academy teams went 2-0-1 over the weekend. The U-18s match against the Crew Soccer Academy Wolves, originally scheduled to take place Saturday, Nov. 10, was postponed due to severe weather. The 18s defeated Vardar SC Freiburg 1-0 Sunday morning. The U-16s won their first match of the weekend 1-0 against the No. 1 ranked Crew Soccer Academy Wolves Saturday before dropping a 1-0 decision to Vardar SC Freiburg Sunday.

The Fire’s Luca Giovine scored the only goal of the game in the 61st minute as the Fire U-16s defeated the previously undefeated Crew Soccer Academy Wolves 1-0 Saturday afternoon on the Toyota Park Turf Field. This was the first loss suffered by the Wolves, who entered the match with a 9-0-1 record.

The Fire U-18s kicked off first Sunday, Nov. 11. Jeffrey Farina scored in the 50th minute as the Fire defeated Vardar 1-0.

Farina’s goal in Sunday’s match was his 11th goal of the season. Farina leads the U-18s and has scored 11 of the team’s 21 goals this season.

In the second match of the day, Vardar’s Robert Cort scored the only goal of the match in the 42nd minute to give the visitors a 1-0 win.

The U-18s (5-3-2) sit in seventh place in the Central Conference’s Mid-America Division. The U-16s (5-3-3) currently hold third place in the Mid-America Division.

The Chicago Fire Developmental Academy teams return to action when the U-18 and U-16 teams head to St. Louis Nov. 17 to face St. Louis Scott Gallagher at Soccer Park in Fenton, Mo. The U-18s will kick off first at 2:00 p.m. CT followed by the U-16s at 4:30 p.m. CT.

FIRE ACADEMY ALUMNI TAKE PART IN NCAA DIVISION I MEN’S SOCCER TOURNAMENT
Twenty Fire Academy alumni and their respective colleges are participating in the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Tournament.

No. 1 seed Notre Dame (Danny Lojek, Danny O’Leary and Harrison Shipp) open play Nov. 18 in the second round of the tournament against the winner of the Cleveland State vs. Michigan State match.